How To: Hexagon Table Runner

I’ve used an ingenious but easy construction technique to assemble this rainbow hued Patchwork Hexagon Table Runner. After making hundreds of Paper Pieced Hexagons, and sewing them all together, I thought a table runner was a nice project that would to show them off to their full potential and that I could see and enjoy every day.
Hexagon project edges can be tricky to work with, I didn’t like the idea of squaring off the sides, as I’d lose the beauty if the zig zag edges, and binding all those corners wasn’t an option, so it took me some thought to devise my construction method. I like to imagine all the steps in my mind, truth be told, I wasn’t even sure it would really work until the final stages when it all came together perfectly. I’ve share some tips to keep your hexagons organized as well as a few methods of stitching them together. You could also make coasters and place mats with the same method.
I hope you enjoy this project, it was over a month in the making…

How to:

I’m going to share with you my secret trick to keeping all my hexies organized and in perfect order. Stick them on to contact paper! It’s not essential, but because this project was going to be portable, I wanted to make sure my carefully arranged colour scheme didn’t get mucked up.
– Arrange you hexies, any pattern that appeals to you is good. The more hexies, the bigger the runner. I’ve used 117, 7 wide and 15ish long
– Stick them to your contact paper lightly. The contact won’t stick super strongly to the fabric but may tear your paper so your papers may not be reusable.

Joining Hexagons
– I used two styles of joining stitches. I’ve shared both techniques. Ideally you would want to match your thread colour, I’ve used contrasting thread to make it easier to see.
– Whip stitch is the most traditional style of joining.
– With right sides of hexies facing and edges lined up, start by securing a couple of firm stitches (or knot) in the corner.
– Whip stitch (sort of around like a spiral) all the way. The closer and smaller the stitches the more inconspicuous from the front. Just catch the edges and not the paper inside.
– Finish with a a couple of stitches in the corner to secure.
– Running stitch is a new method I tried out after I saw Mollie from Wild Olive try it here.
– With right sides of hexies facing and edges lined up, start by securing a couple of firm stitches (or knot) in the corner.
– Work a small running stitch close to edge, avoid catching paper.
– Finish with a couple of whip stitches in the corner to secure.
So my verdict:
As you can see from this photo above both stitches give a slightly different finish.
Running stitch works quicker but gives a wavy join, which I didn’t love.
Whip stitch takes a little longer as stitches need to be close together, but gives a crisper finish.
I used a combination of both depending on my mood.

Now you will need to join all the hexies together, I didn’t have any particular system, but tried to work it so I didn’t have to cut my thread with every seam.
You can see from the picture above, when it’s time to join the 3rd hexie, to avoid a gap at the Y join, add a couple of firm stitches where the corners meet.

Next comes the fun but time consuming part. Stitch, stitch stitch. I took this project everywhere. On a plane, to cafes, whilst waiting for Emma to do her swimming and gymnastics. Eventually the top was done!Removing the Papers
Once you have finished it’s time to take the papers out. My favourite part.
– Find the little knot and pull the thread, the paper should come out easily.
– Remove all the papers except for the ones around the edges.

Assembling the Table Runner
This part looks more complicated than it really is. With my foolproof technique you are guaranteed to get a very neat finish.
– Iron the back of the patchwork to flatten all the seams and to make sure the little ‘petals’ of fabric are sitting nice and flat. Take extra care in the outer edges to get a nice neat and crisp edge.
– Lay and pin patchwork top over layer of wadding.
– Carefully mark around edge, as closely as possible with soluble marker.
– Cut wadding along marked line. (You may need to mark which end of wadding matches each end, will help you later)
This next part is a little counter intuitive but bare with me…
– Remove the papers from the outer hexagons.
– Iron out the fabric on the edges of the outer hexagons, leaving the fabric joined by seams flat.I’ve marked with a dotted line where the original hexagon shape was. Don’t mark the fabric, this is just to make the picture clearer.
– Assemble as follows. Backing fabric facing up, patchwork layer facing down, wadding (with edges lining up to where edges of hexagons were) on top.
– Carefully sew around the wadding, following the corners accurately. Sew all the way around till you get back to the point where you started.
– Sew seam right on the edge or just touching.
– Keep needle in down position when turning corners to get a sharp point.
– Trim away excess fabric, clip points and snip internal angles.Here is my secret trick- shh!
– Carefully cut a long slit in the backing fabric about 20cm/7″ long. Try to center it as much as possible.
– Turn inside out, pulling the patchwork top thought the hole.
– Push points out gently with tip of scissors.
– Press with iron taking extra care on corners and edges.
– Close opening by hand stitching a length of ribbon or bias tape over hole.

And that’s all there is to it. What do you think? I quite like it, although initially I was worried that it would look like Rainbow Brite had thrown up on my table! But now I think it’s a nice pop of colour, especially in my very dark kitchen area over winter.
I decided not to quilt it, but may add some stitching to it later. We’ll see. I’ll just enjoy all the colours and patterns for now, and hopefully it will encourage me to keep the table clear of junk.

Thanks for a great tutorial Cinti
I’m just looking at all those hexies and saying to myself.. ooh! I’ve got that print, and that one… Oooh! I need that print!
Such is the life of a vintage sheet addict!!!

Yes I suppose. It’s the way I have always done it, although it does allow you to be less accurate with cutting earlier on so saves time that way. And both basting all the way through and removing thread is pretty quick. I’ve never tried the other way, but will for next project to compare.

I wanted to make a scenery so I decided on hexagons easy to change and move around my board. i started doing a few by hand and the sizes were off. then then i found your blog thank you so so very much now I can get started.

…well I am somehow a beginner and after one third I was tired of hand sewing it…so I tried the machine (even WITH the papers) and it came out very well and even better than the hand sewed pieces…
So I think machine sewing is better, but everyone has to try what works best…

Looks like a hexie project I might be able to actually complete. Really like how you add batting and the slit for turning. I think a simple row of hexies appliqued over the slit would look great or maybe green bias tape and one pieced hexie shape like from a grandmother’s flower garden for flower on each end–you could end up with reversible table runner.

Your table topper is beautiful. I really like your idea of keeping everything rolled up on the contact paper…genius! I just finished the body of a small hexie project (pics on my blog) and am adding a border of contrasting hexies before deciding on how to finish it. Your method turned out beautifully
Smiles, DianeM

Miss Cintia,
Thank you so much for posting this tutorial. The project is just lovely and your detailed images and explanation are perfect! Thank you for taking the time to do such a thorough job. Your work is beautiful.

I’ve been interested in tackling a hexagon piecing project and this is very inspiring. And now I know exactly how to do it!
Happy Holidays,

KatieLynne in Astoria, Oregon, where water abounds, every view is a postcard, and the nights are quiet…except for the seals!

I’ve been working on a grandmother’s flower garden hexagonal quilt for a LONG time—3 years? The directions in the book I’m using direct me to applique what I have now to a large piece of white fabric and then cut out what is not needed on the back (after appliqueing). I’m afraid I won’t get the appliqueing done properly. Any ideas how I should stretch out the white fabric so I can easily applique the “flower garden” onto it? I’m afraid of puckers. Should I set up my portable quilt frame? That would stretch out the white fabric, wouldn’t it? Any other ideas?

This was great! My favorite part is the last step with making the slit in the middle. I hate finishing projects “pillow style” because the last edge never looks as sharp as the others, so this was pretty ingenious, thanks for the tips!

I cut out template hexagons from a cover of a plastic duo-tang – one that is bigger and many-many are 1- size smaller ones. I use these flexible templates instead of paper. The bigger one is used as a guide to cut out hexagons from fabric (in my case it is usually old clothing to be recycled in craft projects) and the smaller ones are used for making the actually hexagon. Once several layers of hexes are joined together, I remove them (they all have cut out whole in the middle which I use with my scissors to pull the template out) and then use in the out rows of the project. In my case there is no need for keeping hexagons arranged anywhere — I join them as I go. And no need for extra cutting paper — I just use those duo-tang templates over and over.

I have wanted to do patchwork and discovered your web site, now i can’t wait to get going, the table runner looks great, hexagons appeal most as its portable and you can do it anywhere. Thank you for many wonderful ideas.

I love the way you finished your tablerunner…very clever!I have a load of hexies and I think my first project will be a tablerunner instead of a full blown quilt which I had originally planned to do.I love your blog….thanks

Thank you SO MUCH! I’m new to quilting and am making a hexagon table-runner but I absolutely couldn’t figure out how to do the backing. You have saved me MANY headaches (and saved my roommate a couple of meltdowns)!

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